M\v, 1918 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



293 



HEADS OF GRAIN~l I?PQMlii rDIFFERENT FIELDS 



Better Treatment 

 for American 

 Foul Brood. 



Recently Gleanings 

 has received several 

 requests for a plan of 

 treating American foul 

 brood which would be less expensive, less 

 exhausting on the bees and more certain in 

 its results than the usual shaking plan. We 

 here give a simple method by making use 

 of a bee-escape which we believe will 

 answer the requirements, but at the same 

 time call attention to the fact that the re- 

 currence of American foul brood is not nec- 

 essarily a reflection upon the shaking method 

 as it may be due to some neighboring source 

 of infection. However, it is true that in 

 shaking there is the possibility that some 

 honey might be shaken out or that some dis- 

 eased bees might enter neighboring hives. 

 Therefore, we believe the following a better 

 plan: 



In order that the bees may become ac- 

 customed to the changed appearance of their 

 surroundings, a few days before applying the 

 treatment, it is well to place an empty hive 

 with its entrance parallel to the left side of 

 the hive containing the diseased bees and 

 extending a few inches in front of the other 

 entrance. A few days later, the queen should 

 be found, caged, and placed in the entrance. 

 After the bees have recovered from this dis- 

 turbance, and during the time of day when 

 they are still flying strongly, the caged queen 

 is removed and a bee-escape which is fasten- 

 ed to the end of a tin tube is inserted at the 

 left end of the entrance, the rest of the en- 

 trance being securely stopped up so there 

 is no room for the escape of any bees except 

 thru the bee-escape. This hive is now plac- 

 ed in the position formerly occupied by the 

 empty hive, the latter being placed on the 

 old stand and filled with frames containing 



U-i 



The upper figure represents the tin tube (B) 

 with three higs (C) into which thei hee-escape (A) 

 is inserted. The end (D) of the tube is somewhat 

 flattened to make possible its insertion in the eoi- 

 trance. The lower figure shows thei tube and escape 

 connected and attached to tlie hive. The bees in 

 leaving the hive follow the line of arrows thru the 

 tube and thru roand opening (E) of the escape, then 

 up the length of the escape and finally leave thru the 

 opening between the two springs at (F). 



full sheets of foundation. The caged queen 

 is also left in this new hive, where she is 

 soon joined by the field bees who are re- 



turning in great numbers to what they be- 

 lieve to be their old home. 



The tin tube holding the bee-escape ex- 

 tends out in front of the new entrance so 

 that bees leaving the old hive leave from 

 the same relative position as before, and 

 therefore do not realize that the hives have 

 changed places, and consequently will not 

 attempt to return to the old hive but will 

 unhesitatingly enter the hive with the queen. 

 After a large number of bees have returned 



Arrangement after the exchange of hives has been 

 made. (A) is new hive on old stand and contains 

 frames of foundation and the caged queien which is 

 soon released. { B ) is the dLseased colony, the bees 

 of which leave thru the tube and beerescape. 

 On returning they ente.r the hive (A) not knowing 

 the hives have changed positions. 



the queen should be liberated. Altho there 

 is no brood or larvas present, it is very sel- 

 dom that the colony will swarm out. If this 

 is feared, however, a queen-excluder may be 

 placed under the hive. Within two or three 

 days it sometimes happens that dead bees 

 clog the escape, in which case the cage 

 should be detached from its groove in the 

 end of the tube, and the bees removed. 



Just before dark, two or three weeks later, 

 when most of the brood has hatched, the 

 few etraggling bees that may be left in the 

 old hive may be sulphured thru a small 

 opening at the entrance, care being taken 

 not to allow the escape of a single bee. The 

 combs may then be rendered, the frames 

 and the few dead bees burned, and the in- 

 side of the hive, the entrance, and the 

 alighting-board, scorched by means of gaso- 

 line and straw, charring to a light brown. 



In very hot climates it may be advisable to 

 provide special ventilation for the old hive 

 in order to prevent the combs from melting 

 down. But ordinarily this is not necessary, 

 for it should be remembered that nearly all 

 of the bees are in the new hive and a mere 

 handful are left taking care of the brood in 

 the old one. 



This method is a very safe one, since there 

 is no <listurbance at the time of the treat- 

 ment and no chance for spreading disease 

 by means of the honey or bees. The bees 

 entering the new hive are not bees that have 

 been smoked, and are therefore not gorged 

 with diseased honey, but are field bees bring- 

 ing in uncontarainated stores, straight from 



